Precipitation is the fundamental replenishment source of surface and groundwater resources, which directly affects the spatial and temporal distribution of water resources and the distribution and development of mountainous cryosphere. The alpine region of the Qilian Mountains is an area of large amounts of precipitation and runoff. The characteristics of precipitation are greatly affected by topography. However, the existing precipitation observation network cannot reasonably reflect the changes of precipitation on the vertical topographic gradient. To determine how the spatial and temporal change of precipitation affects the hydrological and ecological processes of the alpine mountains, it is necessary to observe the changes of precipitation pattern and type from the vertical gradient of the catchment. This article summarized the gridded, stepped, and automated precipitation observation network in the alpine region of the Qilian Mountains. The network is formed by the Geonor T-200BM3 weighing-type all weather precipitation gauges. A precipitation calibration system is also built in the Aug-one Glacier periglacial area, which is based on the Double Fenced Intercomparison Reference (DFIR) recommended by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In the Aug-one Glacier region, a preliminary analysis of precipitation datasets was conducted, and the applicability of GPM and TRMM precipitation datasets in the Qilian Mountains was evaluated using observational data. The development of this network is important for an in-depth understanding of the changes of rain, snow, and water vapor at different elevations, and minute division of the evaluation of precipitation resources in the alpine mountains. This network provides methods and data products for the comprehensive observation and evaluation of precipitation resources across China.